Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, will travel to North Korea this week, marking the first visit by a Vietnamese leader to the nation in nearly two decades, officials from both countries announced on Monday.
According to Vietnam’s government, Lam’s three-day visit will begin on 9 October and follows an invitation from North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. The trip will coincide with a military parade in Pyongyang on 10 October, commemorating 80 years since the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Vietnam’s Defence Minister, Phan Van Giang, is expected to accompany Lam, a Vietnamese official confirmed.
The two communist nations maintain close political ties and this year celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, though they currently have no formal trade exchanges, the Vietnamese Embassy in Pyongyang noted.
The last visit by a Vietnamese leader to North Korea was in 2007, when Nong Duc Manh, then head of the Communist Party, made a three-day trip — the first since Ho Chi Minh’s visit in 1957.
In a rare overseas engagement, Kim Jong Un travelled to Hanoi in 2019 for a summit with then U.S. President Donald Trump.
Bilateral meetings between lower-ranking officials have since continued, resuming last year after a five-year pause, according to the Vietnamese Embassy’s records.
Lam’s visit follows his August trip to South Korea, which maintains tense relations with Pyongyang. He was the first foreign leader received by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung since he took office in June.
South Korea is also preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit later this month in Gyeongju, with leaders from China and the United States expected to attend.
